As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to support critical international conservation programs as Congress works on FY2026 appropriations legislation this year.

The ties between international conservation and security have become increasingly clear in recent years. Illegal exploitation of natural resources—such as wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing—has been linked to large-scale transnational criminal activities, fostering corruption, undermining the rule of law, and robbing developing countries of natural wealth and economic opportunities. These illegal activities often financially benefit terrorist organizations and provide resources to countries that actively oppose U.S. interests around the world. The bottom line is that they threaten U.S. national and economic security.

International conservation programs such as the Biodiversity Program, counter wildlife trafficking, sustainable landscapes, global health security, the U.S. contribution to the Global Environment Facility (the GEF), the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) International Affairs program and Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) are all important parts of the U.S. government’s response, providing on-the-ground resources in many of the most fragile ecosystems.

Congress has consistently recognized the value of these programs for combating wildlife trafficking and protecting wildlife and ecological integrity as a form of “natural security” as it makes budget decisions. Good natural resource management of wildlife, timber, fish and critical minerals promote good governance and open up opportunities for U.S. businesses, rather than allowing for the exploitation of these resources by malign government actors. These programs also conserve vulnerable species in the wild, protect the landscapes and seascapes that represent the last remaining wild places on the earth, and provide security and livelihoods to local and Indigenous Peoples who directly depend on natural resources for their survival and economic growth. If the U.S. government stops funding international conservation work, malign actors step in to fill the void.

Both the House and Senate have begun work on the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act and the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2026. Longstanding bipartisan support for these programs was reflected in the funding levels included in both bills as they were passed by their respective Appropriations Committees. I urge you to work with your colleagues to protect these funding levels without the addition of any harmful legislative riders as the legislative process continues for these bills.

Thank you for your consideration of my request.